The Woman in Red
by M.Shelley
Summary: This is part 2 of my one shot series for the tournament, this time featuring Sokka (and a little Azula) I hope you enjoy it ;) (and that it makes somehow sense)


_Author's Note: This is the second part of the story for the tournament, it's even longer than the first one shot. Without the Note it had 1559 words._

 _The prompts I used were:_

 _Easy: (object) mirror_

 _Medium: (location) The North Pole_

 _Hard: (quote) "If we are completely honest with ourselves, everyone has a dark side to their personalities" - Isabella Rossellini_

 _I think my "Jekyll and Hyde" here is for once Azula (read her letter at the end and compare it with the usual Azula) but Sokka too, more or less. The good side of him wants to be a good son and diplomat, but the other one, well, you'll see. I hope this doesn't spoiler too much._

 _Please review!_

Sokka's eyes were fixed on the reflection of the glistening fire in the mirror. It was his first diplomatic mission ever, and the first he had to handle alone. His father trusted him with this, while he himself did not feel so confident with seeing Yue's father again. But he couldn't let his father down.

So there he was, again at the North Pole. Every step he took, everything he watched reminded him of Yue, Suki was completely out of his thoughts. Yue's father had welcomed him, but there was an unbearable, silent wall between the men, he couldn't cross. Her father probably was still angry at him for not protecting his only child.

He would travel to Ba Sing Se in a few days, so this would come to an end, eventually. And in the city he could see some of his friends again, that would be a huge relief. Being alone at the North Pole made him feel constantly uncomfortable.

Another thing that made him doubt on his own mind were those strange dreams he developed since he once visited Azula in her asylum. He felt a strong pity for the girl. She was not born evil, she was made this way by her father while she grew up, in the end without her mother, who had, for sure not on purpose, but nevertheless, neglected her.

Since this day he understood why she had been the way she was. And since that day he dreamed of what would be if she grew up in a normal, nice family, far away from fighting and war. A few weeks ago the girl in his dreams grew into a beautiful woman, a classical beauty. Her pale skin white and clean, perfect without any make-up, her golden eyes glancing with a hint of a flame behind the irises that surrounded the round pupils. Her hair black, straight and long, shimmering in the sun as if it was lacquered. In his dreams she wore a red kimono with white trims. It was decorated with various designs, but it wasn't one of those who showed more than it should, it was almost prudish, except for its color.

It were not erotic things he dreamt. It was rather a fantasy of courtly, honorable love, if the time had been another. But he knew, something like that would never happen. Sighing he looked away from the flame.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. "You may enter", he answered it without moving away from the mirror.

A servant entered and began to speak, "Sokka, son of Chief Hakoda from the Southern Tribe, here are some messages for you.", he held every letter up while reading the senders out loudly, "Here's a letter from Lady Katara, one from Fire Lord Zuko, one from Avatar Aang …and one from Princess Azula", that made Sokka jump and stare at the surprised guard, "oh, and the Chief requires your attention as soon as possible, some men found something strange around the Spirits' pond. He awaits you there.".

"All right. I will join the Chief now.", Sokka replied as he took the letters from the servant and laid them on his desk. "You are dismissed; I will call you later once I have the replies finished.", and after they exchanged another smile the servant closed the door again.

Sokka quickly took out a thick fur coat from his wardrobe and made his way through the ice cold city. Why the chief called for him was not in his head, it was all filled up with Azula and why she wrote him, how she wrote him. If she was finally getting better.

As he reached the clearing it was already dark. A small fire spent some light, but everything else was completely dark. He made out the Chief's form and bowed before him. Afterwards Sokka sat down next to the old man and asked, "Hello, Chief. Why did you call me?", hoping to get home soon to read that letter.

In the dark he could make out the chief smiling at him. "You travelled across the world. I thought maybe you could tell me more about this.", he held out a refined piece of jewelry. It was a necklace, much like the ones for water tribe betrothals, but then again totally different. It had a belt for the neck, but not made of silk, like the water tribe once were, but made of small black, lacquered pieces of wood, with beautiful, yet strange patterns carved into them. The pieces were held together by the smallest hinges he had ever seen. From the middle hung a cameo, picturing a red eagle flying over the blue sea. And it's holding was decorated with small red rubies and blue sapphires. It was the most beautiful jewelry he had ever seen, but he didn't know where it could have been made. His vision was fixed on the necklace and the shimmering of the flame on the jewels.

The Chief snapped him out of his trance by saying, "The workers found it at the ground of the pond while cleaning it. Nobody knows where it belongs.", he handed it to the surprised young man, "I have no children. Here. You shall have it, maybe you find out where it belongs on your travels, or you find a woman worth wearing it.".

Sokka remained silent. He didn't know what to say, except, "Thank you.".

After a long silence the old chief stood up slowly and walked away while Sokka still sat at the pond and stared at the necklace. Imagining a woman wearing it, a beautiful woman, in a red kimono.

Finally, he remembered the letters and quickly hid the necklace under his coat while he hurried back to his quarters.

Once there he hastily got out of his coat, it laid now on the ground, but he didn't care. Quickly he lit a small flame and searched for Azula's letter. With shivering fingers he read,

 _Dear Sokka,_

 _I know, we never really have been friends, but out of all you alone visited me in my prison, so I guess that makes us at least companions. I know, I've done terrible things, and there are no excuses, but I was still a child and under my father's influence. If we are completely honest with ourselves, everyone has a dark side to their personalities._

 _The years in this institution were the darkest I yet faced, but your visit was like a torch, lighting the way out of there and back into the light. It gave me the motivation to try harder, to change myself, so I would eventually come out of there. It gave me hope that it would be over some time. But all my effort made the doctors give me more and more medicaments. I think, they didn't want me to become healthy again, because they are afraid I would talk once I came out. Talk about mistreatments and experiments. I know, this sounds not very not-crazy, but it's the truth, and I can't change that._

 _I don't think that my family knew. Nowadays I understand that Zuko wanted to help me, to protect me. And I guess I forgave my mother for neglecting me a little. She wanted to save us from my father. Now I understand that she's brave. She did everything she could, she was no warrior after all._

 _But still, after your visit, change was in the air._

 _Funny, but being at the upper ring of Ba Sing Se made me see clear again, after all those years. I almost missed being chased by someone. I ran away. Away from the doctor, away from the Dai Li. That agent probably thinks I'm dead, but as you know now I'm not. There are people living deep under the city, even deeper than the jewel mines. They helped me, and from them is the paper and ink I'm writing with. As far as I know, they seem to be a family or clan or something like that._

 _There is an old Lady, she's very friendly. Her name is Arcaena, and she ever sits next to a fire. I think she misses the warmth of the surface the most. Also she's the only one with a little color in her skin and hair, all the others are completely white._

 _Her son is around my father's age, his name's Vander, and his wife is called Halaema. They have four children, a girl around Zuko's age, Micaiah, who was not very friendly at first, but just because she wants to protect her family. She's familiar with a bow like I've never seen one before._

 _The boy, Hamon, is around your age. He was the one who found me. Just like you he's very friendly._

 _The last ones are the twins Shalana and Aneirin, both girls. They seem to be a little bit younger than me and are often sneaking around._

 _Actually these people are the very reason why I wrote you. I'm not really sure what they are, but maybe we could find out together? You should find us if you explore the tunnels under the jewel mines, I'm sure you will find us._

 _Love,_

 _Azula_

 _PS: Don't tell Zuko I'm here ;)_

Sokka held his breath. Did she really draw a smiley at the end?


End file.
